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Real Madrid superstar Luka Modric is set to call a halt to his glittering career in Spain at the end of this season. The Croatian whose contract runs until 2021, has not signed a contract extension at the Santiago Bernabeu. In eight seasons at the capital, Modric has won four Champions League titles, four Club World Cups, one La Liga title and one Copa Del Rey. On an individual level, the 34-year-old has been honoured with the Ballon d’Or award, FIFA’s The Best award in the men’s category, UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award and the World Cup Golden Ball to name a few.
The former Tottenham Hotspur man has an incredible 332 appearances in a Real Madrid shirt, scoring 22 goals and providing another 52 assists. Captain of the Croatian national team, Modric has shown his world-class ability and consistency at the highest level for several years now making him one of the best in the business. With age catching up, the diminutive central-midfielder will hope to seek new pastures where he could end his career on a high.
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Zidane Zinedine and Real Madrid are aware that it will be almost impossible for anyone to replicate his legend, however, they will have to quickly identify his eventual successor at the club. In this section, we discuss the five midfielders who could fill Luka Modric's boots at Real Madrid.
5. Dani Ceballos
Dani Ceballos will return to Real Madrid next season after his season-long loan at Premier League heavyweights Arsenal comes to an end. Having made an instant impact at the North London club, the midfielder lost his footing under Unai Emery before recently reigniting into life in Mikel Arteta’s new deep-lying role.
The Spaniard is a technically-gifted footballer who is a genius in ball control, passing and dribbling out of spaces. His low centre-of-gravity makes it almost impossible for him to be knocked off the ball as he controls the tempo of the game and spreads passes at will. However, given the 23-year-old’s obvious talents, he still is raw in terms of decision-making. At Arsenal, he has been kept quiet in far too many games since the start of the season but has shown signs of significant improvement in recent games.
In Arteta’s new set-up, Granit Xhaka and Ceballos play in a double-pivot with Mesut Ozil in a number ten position in front of them. Though Ceballos could thrive in the German’s role behind the attackers, the Spanish boss has instructed him to dictate play from the centre of the pitch. His work rate, stamina and ball-winning capabilities also allow him to track back, defend and launch counter-attacks for his team.
At Real Madrid, the former Real Betis man could play in his preferred number eight role ahead of the defensive midfielder where he could use his excellent reading of the game to exploit the opposition and link-up with the forwards. If he performs on a consistent level, there is no doubt that Dani Ceballos will not only be an adequate long-term replacement to Luka Modric but also become a Bernabeu hero himself in the coming years.
4. Marcelo Brozovic
Replacing Luka Modric with another talented Croatian in Marcelo Brozovic would be a fitting tribute to the departing 2018 Ballon d’Or winner. 27-year-old Brozovic is a quintessential part of Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan and the Croatian national team and the midfielder looks ready to take the next big leap in his career.
This season, Brozovic has 8 goal contributions in all competitions so far and is currently helping his team mount a significant title challenge against league leaders Lazio and reigning champions Juventus. Two seasons ago, he had a career-best 4 goals and 9 assists in the Serie A which highlighted his attacking prowess if given an advanced role in the team.
Having often been compared to Premier League legend Frank Lampard, Brozovic has an impeccable passing range, immaculate vision, superb work ethic and an attacking instinct similar to that of the Chelsea icon. Apart from his playmaking ability, Brozovic is known for his tackling, interceptions, ball-winning ability and off-the-ball running. He is also extremely flexible in terms of midfield positioning. Whether deployed as a deep-lying playmaker or a box-to-box midfielder, Brozovic makes sure that he leaves his mark on every game he plays.
Interestingly, Brozovic was not exactly a fan favourite during his first few years at the Nerazzurri. It was public knowledge that his relationship with Inter fans was filled with animosity as they would often jeer at him due to his sloppy performances and petulant attitude.
However, he has since then eliminated the inconsistencies of his game and has played a telling role under managers Luciano Spalletti and now Antonio Conte. Real Madrid would definitely welcome a seasoned player like Marcelo Brozovic into their ranks as he could not only replace Luka Modric in midfield but also bring in much-needed intelligence, command and leadership qualities to the club.
3. Marco Verratti
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti was touted to be one of the world’s best in his position by many, but he has not been able to live up to those impeccable standards. Though he has been an indispensable character at the French club, other former and current superstar players like Neymar, Edinson Cavani, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Angel Di Maria and Kylian Mbappe have all overshadowed his presence.
The Italian, who often goes under-the-radar at Paris Saint-Germain, could finally come onto his own at a mammoth club like Real Madrid. The 27-year-old still has his best days in front of him and has all the ability to assume Luka Modric’s role in Zidane’s midfield. Quick, agile and silky, Verratti is probably the best deep-lying playmaker in world football. His vision, quick reactions, dribbling skills and work-rate is next to none as he can play any role in a midfield three.
He has the ability to dictate matches with his long diagonals and short exchanges whilst leading the transition from defense to attack. A pivot in midfield, Verratti sees a lot of the ball during matches and his confidence in possession allows his teammates to take up attacking positions.
Marco Verratti has been an excellent servant to Paris Saint-Germain and has won everything that there is to win in France. However, he might now look to challenge himself with a move elsewhere in order to get his hands on the coveted Champions League trophy. Real Madrid will surely be keeping tabs on him as he just might just be a tailor-made replacement for Luka Modric.
2. Martin Odegaard
In an ideal scenario, Real Madrid fans would want Zinedine Zidane to go all-out on a striker this summer and finally hand Martin Odegaard a definitive role in his midfield trident next season. The Norwegian is having a brilliant campaign on loan at Real Sociedad where he has 7 goals and 8 assists to his name in all competitions.
Odegaard was bought in by Madrid at the tender age of 16 but only managed a solitary appearance for the senior team. Subsequently, he was sent out on loan to Dutch outfits Heerenveen and Vitesse before his ongoing spell in the north of Spain. The 21-year-old also has over 20 caps for Norway and will look to lead his side into the European championships as dark horses this summer.
Real Madrid have some of the world’s best youngsters in their ranks with the likes of Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Federico Valverde already shining at the club. However, not many would argue that Martin Odegaard is the brightest of the lot. The playmaker is often deployed as a second striker by his Sociedad boss Imanol Alguacil, however, in Zidane’s set-up, he could be used to work the channels in midfield.
With Casemiro and Valverde protecting the defense, Odegaard could be given the license to control play, bomb forward and create chances for his teammates. He could also be utilised as a right-winger who likes to cut inside on his preferred left foot and carve open the opposition. Luka Modric’s departure could be a welcome opportunity for Martin Odegaard who will finally look to justify the hype with which he arrived at the Bernabeu back in 2015.
1. Paul Pogba
The dream Luka Modric replacement for Zinedine Zidane, however, would be Manchester United superstar Paul Pogba. The Frenchman is reportedly on his way out of Old Trafford after barely playing this season because of multiple injuries. Pogba, nonetheless, remains one of the best midfielders in the world and could revolutionise Real Madrid if he were to join them next season.
The 26-year-old proved himself in Italy after excelling at Juventus before his British transfer record €105 million move to Manchester United. In England, however, he has been on the receiving end of heavy criticism and constant scrutiny for his off-the-pitch shenanigans. However, in his four years at the Premier League giants, Pogba has racked up an impressive 31 goals and 31 assists in all competitions despite being deployed in different positions in the middle of the park.
Although he is yet to taste Premier League success, Pogba has four Serie A titles, two Copa Italia trophies, a League Cup and a Europa League title on his resume. He obviously was a pivotal part of the France side which lifted the 2018 World Cup in Russia and will look to replicate that form in the upcoming European championships.
Pogba is probably one of the most 'complete' midfielders in the game because of his ability to dictate, defend, create and score. His versatility and adaptability allows him to play as a holding midfielder, as a transitional number eight or even in an attacking role behind the striker. With Modric ready to leave the Santiago Bernabeu and Toni Kroos ageing, the 13-time Champions League winners will look to bring in a high-profile midfielder this summer and Paul Pogba ticks all of the boxes.
